Dicarboxylic acid to prevent acute kidney injury

Dicarboxylic acid therapy for prevention of kidney injury

NIH-funded research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11190863

This project is trying a dicarboxylic acid to protect hospitalized people from sudden (acute) kidney injury.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Pittsburgh, United States)
Project IDNIH-11190863 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If I'm at risk of kidney damage while in the hospital, this work is exploring whether giving a dicarboxylic acid can protect my kidney cells by boosting a different fat-processing pathway called peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. Researchers will run lab and preclinical experiments and link those findings to human samples or clinical situations to see if the approach prevents early tubular damage. The aim is to stop acute injury and lower my long-term risk of developing chronic kidney disease after an episode of acute kidney injury. If the results look promising, the approach could move toward clinical testing at hospitals like the University of Pittsburgh.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be hospitalized adults at high risk for acute kidney injury—such as critically ill patients, those with sepsis, or people undergoing major surgery—especially at participating centers.

Not a fit: People with long-standing end-stage kidney disease on dialysis or whose kidney damage is already irreversible are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce hospital-acquired acute kidney injury and lower the chance of progressing to chronic kidney disease.

How similar studies have performed: Most prior kidney-protection work targeted mitochondria, and boosting peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation is a newer, mostly preclinical approach with limited human data so far.

Where this research is happening

Pittsburgh, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.